


Coffee Date

by Robin Hood (kjack89)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 22:16:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13668429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjack89/pseuds/Robin%20Hood
Summary: This was their third such coffee date since Rafael had left the DA’s office, and Carmen knew it was Rafael’s way of checking in with her until he could finally offer her a new position, wherever he ended up.Carmen liked to use these little meetings as an opportunity to make sure Rafael was staying sane in the wide world outside of the DA’s office. She had the feeling he liked to make sure she was staying sane while stuck in the narrow world inside of the DA’s office.They made a good pair.They always had.





	Coffee Date

**Author's Note:**

> In continuing my tour of "bringing some desperately needed closure that the SVU writers just forgot to give us", I wanted to give a glimpse of Carmen, queen of my heart (well, second probably to Rita), and how she's handling Barba's rather abrupt departure.
> 
> Fluff, friendship, happiness.
> 
> More than we'll ever get from the show.
> 
> Usual disclaimer. Please be kind and tip your fanfic writers in the form of comments and/or kudos!

Carmen peered over the bustling crowd of people outside of the small café a few blocks from 1 Hogan Place and let out a small sigh of relief when she saw Rafael through the window.

Not that she had expected him to not be there — it wasn't like he had anywhere else to be.

This was their third such coffee date since Rafael had left the DA’s office, and Carmen knew it was Rafael’s way of checking in with her until he could finally offer her a new position, wherever he ended up.

Carmen would accept, without hesitation.

They both knew that.

And in the meantime, Carmen liked to use these little meetings as an opportunity to make sure Rafael was staying sane in the wide world outside of the DA’s office. She had the feeling he liked to make sure she was staying sane while stuck in the narrow world inside of the DA’s office.

They made a good pair.

They always had.

She pushed the door to the café open and Rafael looked up, a genuine smile crossing his face. "I got you a coffee," he said in lieu of greeting, and she shook her head as she pulled her scarf off.

"You didn't have to do that," she scolded, even as she took a seat across from him. "I'm the one who's working, after all."

He gave her a look as he passed the coffee across the table to her. "I'm temporarily unemployed, not destitute," he said, with just a hint of snark. "I think I can afford to shell out for coffee."

Carmen rolled her eyes but nonetheless took a sip of coffee. "So how have you been?"

Rafael paused as if considering the question. "Really good," he answered honestly. "I've had a few interviews and a couple of good leads. And in the meantime, I’ve actually read a book from cover to cover for the first time in…” He trailed off. “Longer than I care to admit, frankly.”

“Romance novel?” Carmen teased.

Rafael laughed and shook his head. “Crime novel,” he admitted, and when she just raised an eyebrow, he laughed again. “Hey, baby steps, ok?”

She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup, gratified more than surprised to see that he looked…well, happy. Genuinely happy, and Carmen couldn’t remember the last time he looked that way.

“Unemployment clearly suits you,” she said.

He made a face. “I don’t think it’s unemployment that suits me so much as finally getting away from the DA’s office. Gainful employment would suit me better but I’ll admit — I don’t miss it.” He paused, then added, “Or at least, not most of it.”

Carmen sighed. “I can’t say I blame you,” she said, somewhat mournfully. “It’s not the same without you, boss.”

Rafael smirked at that. “Well, no shit,” he said, somewhat smugly.

Carmen rolled her eyes. The only reason he was allowed to be even somewhat smug was that they had rehashed — several times, on their first such coffee date that had spanned three very long and very tense hours — the reasons behind him leaving and the trial and everything else. She didn’t see eye to eye with him and likely never would, but she had also worked with Rafael for over a decade, and he was like the older brother she’d never had.

It was enough to merit her forgiveness.

Even if she had gotten stuck with Stone because of it.

“Seriously, though,” Rafael continued, as if he had sensed her thoughts, “Stone can’t be _that_ bad, can he?”

Carmen pursed her lips. “I’ve stolen all of his paper clips.”

Rafael blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know the way that you used to go through paper clips, what with all those legal documents that you can’t staple and what not. You can’t function as an ADA without paper clips. Or at least, you can’t function _well_.” She allowed herself a small, somewhat triumphant smile. “So I stole all of his.”

Rafael stared at her, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “I really shouldn’t condone that,” he said slowly, in a way that suggested he absolutely did.

She shrugged. “I mean, it’s nothing that would jeopardize a case. I would never go that far.” Carmen examined her nails and added offhandedly, “Just like how rearranging all of his files while he’s at an arraignment doesn’t jeopardize any cases. Nor does telling Buchanan that he no longer needs to worry about making an appointment, to just drop by and I’ll fit him in, jeopardize any cases.”

Rafael let out a full-on guffaw at that, practically doubling over with laughter for a solid minute before reaching up to wipe mirthful tears from his eyes. “Jesus Christ,” he wheezed. “Oh, Lord, what I wouldn’t give to see Stone’s face when Buchanan just keeps showing up.”

Carmen grinned as well, though her smile faded somewhat as she added, “Though John did say that it’s not the same when it’s not you he’s annoying.”

“I’d imagine not,” Rafael said, his smile fading somewhat as well.

“Oh, did I tell you about Lt. Benson?” Carmen asked, mostly in an attempt to bring back the light mood from before. Rafael cocked an eyebrow at her as he took another sip of coffee. “Stone told me to tell Olivia that she’s not allowed to just go into his office anymore. She has to make an appointment.”

Rafael gaped at her. “He didn’t.”

Carmen nodded. “Oh, he _did_.”

“And how, if I may ask, did Liv take that instruction?”

Carmen grinned. “Not well.” Her grin again faded into something more serious. “She’s putting in an official request for a new ADA. I don’t think McCoy will honor it, but…” She shrugged and drained her coffee. “You still have friends there, you know. I even heard Sgt. Tutuola mention in passing that he missed you.”

Rafael looked surprised for a moment before his expression softened and he ducked his head. “That’s...very gratifying. Thank you.”

Carmen allowed him a moment to bask in that before adding, “Of course, Stone had just denied his request for a warrant, so—”

Rafael laughed. “And that sounds more like it.”

They fell into comfortable silence as Rafael continued to drink his coffee. At least, that’s what Rafael was doing to bide time, and Carmen was relatively patient enough to wait for him to finally get around to asking what she knew he’d been wanting to ask from the beginning.

Finally, Rafael leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs before asking, in a way that was far too casual to even remotely be, “And what about Det. Carisi? Have you seen him recently?”

Carmen shook her head. “No,” she said honestly. “No, he doesn’t come by as much anymore. Not unless he has to. And the last time he did—” She hesitated, giving Rafael a fleeting look. “You heard about what happened with his niece?” Rafael nodded slowly, his expression tightening at the thought of the case. “Well, the last time Carisi came by was shortly after that, and it ended with him shouting at Stone and storming out, so.”

Rafael picked almost moodily at the cardboard sleeve of his coffee cup. “So par for the course with Carisi, then,” he muttered, his expression distant.

Carmen arched an eyebrow at him. “I mean, if that’s really what you think,” she said coolly.

It wasn’t, and Carmen knew that.

Rafael knew that as well, and he knew that Carmen knew that.

They both knew each other very well.

Which was how Carmen could read the expression that flashed across Rafael’s face, just as she had read the wide array of expressions and emotions Rafael had worn and felt for the detective over the years. Which was how she knew that Rafael didn’t think this was par for the course for Carisi at all.

His concern — among other feelings — for the detective had perhaps taken a backseat of recent, and anyone else might’ve considered it a closed case, but Carmen knew better.

Rafael sighed and ran a hand across his face, but before he could reply, his phone rang, and he looked down at it, surprise raising both his eyebrows. “What are you, a bat?” he asked as he answered the phone, a slow, genuine smile crossing his face, the kind of smile that told Carmen exactly who was calling. “No, I’m not busy—” Carmen made a mildly indignant noise, but Rafael ignored her. “What’s up?”

As he listened intently to what was being said, Carmen got her coat and bag together. She knew where this was headed. “Do you want to get some coffee, talk about the case?” Rafael asked, before mouthing ‘sorry’ at Carmen, who just rolled her eyes affectionately.

“I have to get back to the office anyway,” she told Rafael in an undertone, standing and crossing to give hug a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “See you next week.” She paused and gave Rafael a knowing look. “And tell Det. Carisi that I say hello.”

Rafael just grinned and nodded before sitting back in her chair. “Carmen says hi, by the way,” he said, and Carmen laughed and shook her head as she left, grinning when she heard Rafael behind her telling Carisi, “I don’t know how she knew, Sonny, I’ve just come to accept that Carmen knows everything.”

Carmen let out a sigh of something dangerously close to happiness and paused just outside the café to wrap her scarf around her neck. She chanced a glance back inside, watching for a moment as Rafael gestured determinedly with one hand, clearly arguing with Carisi about something, even as he was grinning, and she couldn’t help but shake her head.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” she murmured to herself before heading back in the direction of 1 Hogan Place, allowing a sharp smile to curve her lips.

Rafael was arguing with Carisi again.

She had more paper clips to go steal.

And for however brief a moment, all was right in the world.


End file.
